


When We Were Young

by deerfairy



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms, Winnie-the-Pooh (Disney)
Genre: Kid!Lock, M/M, Winnie-the-Pooh References
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-11
Packaged: 2018-06-01 18:30:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6531247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deerfairy/pseuds/deerfairy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>School just got out for the summer, and Sherlock Holmes goes gallivanting through the 100 Acre Woods with Redbeard (his adorable stuffed animal sidekick) and stumbles upon massive tracks made by a mysterious beast. A tale of adventure, youth, and friendship finds a way to warm the heart of every Sherlock lover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When We Were Young

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a while ago and have not proofread or brit picked it. I am planning on making this a continuous story of their childhood and youth until the day Mike Stamford re-introduces them. I hope you enjoy and if you notice anything wrong with grammar or spelling, please let me know!

Sherlock got off the bus to find Mycroft waiting for him with a smile on his face. "With your new found freedom, what are you going to do, little brother?" The elder asked. Sherlock smiled and said, "I'm going to visit Redbeard in the 100 Acre Woods every day!!!"

Now Redbeard was Sherlock's favorite stuffed animal and the 100 Acre Woods was the wooded area behind their house. However, Mycroft never criticized Sherlock for playing pretend because it was something to keep him active and outside. Sherlock loved visiting Redbeard and exploring the vast woods because there was so much to learn. There were countless plants, animals, insects, and amphibians out in the woods that he was so excited to discover and learn about.

When they got home, Sherlock ran upstairs and grabbed his explorers bag equipped with a bug net, sunscreen, a bug case, magnifying glass, and a first aid kit. He picked Redbeard up off his bed and rushed back downstairs to the kitchen where he grabbed two apples and a juice box. One for him and one for Redbeard. "I'll be back before dark!!" Sherlock said as he left the house. Mycroft grinned and their mother shouted back, "Don't forget, we are having dinner with Mrs. Houser!!"

Sherlock barely made out his mother's reminder as he bolted to the woods, excited that summer vacation had started. "Come on, Redbeard!!! There is a whole world to explore!!!"

When Sherlock reached the fort that they had built, he sat down the explorer's bag and pulled out the sunscreen. It was still early afternoon and though he was in the forest, his pale skin could burn easily. He slathered it on his arms and legs, and put a bit on his face too before putting it back in the pack.

"Why don't I need sunscreen?" Redbeard asked.

"Because you've got your fur to protect you." Sherlock replied. "I don't have any hair on me except on the top of my head."

"Oh." said Redbeard as he nodded with understanding. "Where are we going to explore today?"

"I don't know, maybe a little of here and a little of there. Wherever the wind takes us." He answered.

"How is the wind taking us?"

Sherlock chuckled. "It's a figure of speech, Redbeard. It means wherever we end up, is where we will explore."

"Oh...I think I understand."

Sherlock picked up the pack and put it on. He grabbed Redbeard's hand and together they started walking through the 100 Acre Woods. Over hills, down hills, climbing over roots, stumps, and fallen trees. They made their way through the forest when suddenly Redbeard stopped and said, "Hold up, Sherlock! I think I smell something funny." 

Sherlock turned on his heel, excitement written across his face.

"It's like a smell I've never smelled before followed by that of another boy!" Redbeard continued.

Sherlock's eyes grew wide with excitement and a hint of protectiveness. Someone else was in his forest! "Well, let's see if we can find them." He said. 

And so the two began to look around the area for any clues that would lead in the direction of the mysterious smelling creature and the boy. "Redbeard, have you found anything?" Sherlock called out.

"Um, I don't believe so. Though there are some broken branches that weren't here last time." The dog said.

Sherlock walked over to where his friend was standing and took out the magnifying glass, inspecting the broken branches carefully. He noticed a tuft of purple fur on the end of one of them and picked it up with the tweezers and stuck it in a bag. "What do you think it is, Sherlock?"

The young boy took a step back and began to think. What else about this area was off? Then it hit him. Redbeard was standing in the middle of a giant footprint. "Redbeard, take a look at where your standing."

The dog began looking around, trying to identify what Sherlock was hinting at. Then, he saw it too. "Sher-" his voice quavered, "it's massive."

Sherlock grabbed Redbeard's hand and said, "Don't worry. Everything will be alright. We just have to follow the footprints to figure out what it is."

Redbeard gulped and nodded slowly. "Y-yeah...everything will...be alright."

"Just put one foot in front of the other..." Sherlock explained to his friend, "Yeah, just like that. I know it may be scary but if we can figure out the source of the footprints, maybe it'll make it seem less scary."

Redbeard nodded and held tighter to Sherlock's hand. "Right."

The two began following the trail through the 100 Acre Woods. Whatever made the footprints must be massive. He hoped it was friendly, because if not...

Sherlock shook his head trying to forget about the worst case scenario and as they looked ahead, they realized the footprints ended really soon. "Let's be extra quiet, OK?" 

Redbeard agreed and they approached the end of the footprints scanning the area for any sign of the massive creature. They listened carefully for any sound, hearing the faintest sobbing. Sherlock looked around and located the source. It was the boy who was venturing in his woods sitting on a tree stump. The boy had short blonde hair and was wearing a blue and white striped shirt with a pair of bright blue shorts. "Hey," Sherlock said, "Are you ok?"

The boy realized he wasn't alone and tried to stop crying. He puffed up his chest and wiped his eyes. "Uh-of course I'm fine." His voice was dry and crackly from crying. 

Sherlock saw that the boy had a cut on his knee. "You're bleeding!"

The blonde boy looked down and shrugged, "I-I sup-ppose I am." A solitary tear rolled down his cheek.

Sherlock grabbed his pack off his back and set it on the ground. "It's ok, I can take care of it." He grabbed his first aid kit out of the pack and opened it. He pulled out a bottle of spray disinfectant, a tube of disinfectant cream, and a bandage. The boy watched in awe at the preparedness of the other. "This may sting a bit." He warned.

The boy winced as Sherlock sprayed the wound. "I warned you." Sherlock said as he squeezed a bit of the ointment onto the bandage and stuck it to the kid's knee. "Now, that'll keep the dirt and germs out, but when you get home, you got to wash it." He instructed.

"Thanks," the blonde boy said, "I owe you one. But I don't know how to get home from here." 

All the traces of crying were gone from the boy, and Sherlock knew he had done a good job. "Don't worry-uh-what's your name?"

"John. John Watson." The boy replied.

"Alright, John. I'm Sherlock. And don't worry, Redbeard and I will help you find your way home."

"Redbeard? Who is Redbeard?" John asked.

Sherlock looked around and saw that Redbeard was still hiding, "it's ok, you can come out now!"

The dog emerged from his hiding spot and walked up to Sherlock's side. "This is Redbeard."

"How do you do?" The dog said.

"Good...now. Thanks to Sherlock." John replied.

Sherlock beamed brightly and stuck out his hand, instructing John to take it and pulled him off the stump. The blonde headed boy winced as he put weight on the skinned knee but inhaled and took a step forward to show that he was able to walk. 

Sherlock nodded in understanding and asked, "So where do you live?"

"I-uh-just moved here. So I don't really know for sure but it's a two story house with a picket fence." John replied.

"Oh, I know where you are talking about. The Dawson's just moved out of there. Don't worry it's not that far from here." 

"Uh, before we leave, we have to find Trunks." John implored. 

Sherlock looked puzzled "Trunks? As in trees? Or chests?"

"As in Heffalump. My heffalump."

"What is a heffalump" Redbeard asked.

"It's kind of like an elephant. But more....hufflelumpy." John responded.

Sherlock put on a serious face and looked at John. "Then we shall find your heffalumpy elephant."

John pointed in the direction which he thought Trunks went. He explained that Trunks went off to find help since he was lost and wounded. Sherlock grabbed John's hand and dragged him along as they dodged between trees, roots, and vines with Redbeard trailing behind. Since a Heffalump is a rather large animal, it was easy to find its tracks in the woods because of the broken branches and large foot prints. They dashed and darted through the trees making swift progress in the search. That's when John saw Trunks up ahead and yelled out. 

The heffalump turned completely around, knocking over some trees in the process. "John!! You're ok!" 

John ran up to Trunks and hugged his giant leg. Trunks tenderly stroked the boy's hair with his trunk and then asked about the new boy and his dog.

"Oh, this is my new friend, Sherlock. And his dog, Redbeard. They found me, patched me up, and helped me find you!" John answered.

Sherlock stood there, mouth agape in awe of how big the heffalump was. Redbeard looked perplexed. "Why is it purple?"

John and Trunks chuckled at this, which snapped Sherlock out of his trance. John's laugh was possibly the world's 8th wonder. He smiled in response and giggled himself. Redbeard was now even more confused than before.

John finally stopped laughing and and answered, "Because that's the color of heffalumps."

To which Redbeard just replied, "Oh."

Trunks grabbed John with his trunk and set him on his back. "Would you two like a ride as well?" The heffalump offered.

Sherlock was ecstatic and nodded happily. Trunks lifted him and his dog and set them behind John. John beamed, "Hold on to me, it's going to be a little bumpy."

Sherlock wrapped his arms around John's waist and buried his face into his back, with Redbeard doing the same to him. John held onto the heffalump's fur and they took off towards John's house. The wind whipped around them, making Redbeard's ears flap and Sherlock's curls float. John was radiating happiness and they enjoyed their trip.

They came around the corner of John's street and Trunks stopped to let them down. "Here comes the fun part!" And Trunks lowered his head, making John, Sherlock, and Redbeard slide forward and down his trunk. They screamed with excitement and giggled when they reached the bottom.

"Thanks Trunks!" They all said and walked up the street to John's house. John walked in the front door and Sherlock followed. Redbeard and Trunks waited outside in the front yard.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" John called out.

Mrs. Watson came out from the living room and was shocked at the state of her son and his new friend. "John! Look at you! You are a mess!!! And who is this boy you've brought in?"

John smiled as if proud of his dirty self and spoke, "This is Sherlock! I met him in the woods. He found me after a fell and treated my knee!"

Mrs. Watson smiled and Sherlock and he knew immediately where the boy got his smile from. "It's nice to meet you, Sherlock. I'm Mrs. Watson. You two better go clean up. I wouldn't want you going back to your house looking like that."

Sherlock answered, "Yes ma'am!" And John grabbed Sherlock's hand and led him to the washroom. They grabbed rags and wet them in the sink then proceeded to rub off the dirt on their arms, legs, and faces. Satisfied that they were presentable, they went back into the living room.

"You two look much better." Mrs. Watson smiled and continued, "Sherlock, do you're parents know where you are?"

Sherlock shook his head. "They know I went into the woods next to our house, but not that I am here. I am sure it is ok though. We are supposed to go to dinner with Mrs. Houser who is two blocks over."

"Well then, you should call your parents and tell them that they can come by and pick you up on their way to her house. After that, you are more than welcome to stay here until they come and get you." Mrs. Watson said.

"Thank you, ma'am."

John showed Sherlock were the phone was in the study and Sherlock dialed his phone number and explained it all. His mother said that that was fine by her and that they'd be there in a hour. After hanging up, John asked if Sherlock wanted to see his room. Sherlock nodded excitedly and they went upstairs.

Entering John's room was an overload of information that Sherlock was trying to take in. There were mixtapes, VHS, and a bookshelf full of fantasy novels. His room was littered with clothes and building bricks as well. "Sorry it's a mess. We just moved in two days ago" John apologized.

"No-no. It's fine." Sherlock consoled. "You have a lot of mixtapes."

John chuckled, "I love music! And I make them myself."

"You made these?!?!" Sherlock exclaimed.

"Yeah! I listen to a big variety of music and make them. I want to be on the radio when I grow up!" John shared.

"These look really good! Can we listen to one?" He asked. 

“Sure. Here, let me put something in." John went to his desk and grabbed a box filled with tapes and rummaged through looking for the perfect one.

Sherlock lets the music fill his head and its not long before his head is bopping and his foot is bouncing to the beat of the music. John adjusts the volume and clears some space on the floor with his feet. He starts to dance a long to the music, making Sherlock giggle at him. Sherlock slowly loosened up and begun dancing as well. John and Sherlock danced all around the room to the Best Mixtape Ever and after 3 songs, they were worn out. John laid down on the floor, inviting Sherlock to lay as well while they caught their breath. Sherlock’s curls were wet and sticking to his forehead as he panted, “That was a lot of fun.”

John nodded breathlessly, “Yeah, you are a pretty good dancer.”

“You really think so?”

“Very.”

“Thanks.” Sherlock smiled.


End file.
